Now, let us ride back to Knighton,
and see how matters go there."
On arriving at the little town, they found that all was quiet, and that
no bodies of Welsh had approached the town. The party of horse were
again sent out, in various directions, the smoke serving them as a
guide. The villages were found to be entirely deserted; but, pushing
farther on, many fugitives came out from hiding places.
Their reports were all of the same character. The Welsh were in full
retreat for their own country.
By the time the troops returned with the news to Knighton, the footmen
from Ludlow had marched in, and were being entertained by the
inhabitants; who, now that the danger had passed, had returned.
"Retired have they, Sir John?" his two fellow knights said, as he
arrived with his following. "It was but a raid for plunder, then, and
not an invasion. Doubtless, Glendower merely wished to warm their
blood, and to engage them so far in his enterprise that they could no
longer draw back. They must have carried off some hundreds of cattle
and sheep, to say nothing of other plunder; and, had it not been for
our having the news soon enough to get here before they retired, they
would have got off scatheless.
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